As a child, I had always dreamed to be “snowed in”, when the school ski camps were about to come to an end. This would have given us some additional days free from school. But at school times, it never happened. Now, more than 50 years later, end of January 2021, I am forced to stay at Oberwald in the Goms because of too much snow. Now this dream has come true.

With a friend of mine, I have booked a few nights in the family owned Hotel Furka at Oberwald.

Snowfall has been announced. However, we are confident that we are water- and “snow”-proof. 

 

Wonderful conditions on our first day, Tuesday

On Tuesday, we arrive at Oberwald via Andermatt using the car transport through the Furka Tunnel. 

The sun shines and the air is fresh and chilly. We run from Oberwald to Niederwald. The snow conditions are beautiful and we do all the detours on the way, except the last one just before Niederwald; there are exactly 9 minutes left, until the train leaves at Niederwald. We rush to the train station and we make it on the train back to Oberwald.

At the hotel, we enjoy an excellent glass of Heida (local wine from the canton, related with Traminer) and a delicious meal. 

 

Snow fall has started and cross country runs are filling up with snow on Wednesday

An area of deep pressures approaches England to bring precipitation and, in the mountains, heavy snowfall. 

This is the SRF METEO weather map of Thursday. The snow starts falling on Wednesday. We run down to Münster, find that the tracks are filling up more and more with snow and return back to Oberwald. 

 

We wake up on Thursday with lots of snow around us, all runs are closed and the danger of avalanches is high

Taking a shower on Thursday morning, I find this view from my bathroom window.

This is the view from the breakfast room. 

The lamp indicating that we are in the Hotel Furka is buried under snow. 

The hotel manager serves our breakfast and informs us about the status of the cross country runs, snow shoe trails and walking trails: Everything closed, as the colour “red” indicates. 

About 60-80cm of fresh snow had fallen from Tuesday evening until today, Thursday morning. The danger of avalanches is 4 which means “high”. At 4, roads and railway tracks are in danger. The roads are closed and the trains have stopped working. 

Later the danger of avalanches switches to “sehr gross” (5 = very high), which is the highest level. Several avalanches went down during the day, even cutting into the unstable old snow layers.

No, we cannot get out of Oberwald. We are locked up. Fifty years ago, as a child, I had always dreamed to be “snowed in”, when the ski camps were about to end; it never happened. Now my “old” dream comes true.

Our plans for the next two days: Walk around Oberwald, take some photos and – read. 

 

Snow impressions taken in the village Oberwald

All guests of Oberwald are locked up. The main street is busy with people walking up and down. 

Snow ploughs are working hard to free the main street from the heaps of snow.

It is getting more difficult for them, where the streets are narrower.

A lorry takes snow to the Rotten and drops it into the creek.

Cars can barely be seen under the snow. 

Fortunately, my car is in the hotel garage.

The snow covering these two roofs…

… gives a very snowy perspective.

A small path has been cut out to access the barn.

The roofs have to carry much snow and more is expected.

The black crows (or choughs) congregate on the street lamp.

The access to this hotel parking can barely be seen.

Some attentive person has put this glove on to the red street marker such that the owner has a chance to find it.

Will this mailbox ever be emptied now?

The streets are being used by skaters.

The carpenter with the name “Holzwurmji” (woodworm) looks closed today.

Depositing snow is forbidden, as the red plate indicates… well, the snow ploughers only had the option to disobey the order.

The Murmeli (house with the name “little marmot”) has already worked hard to free the car and the road has been groomed in the meantime. I wonder, whether this small house can carry the weight of the snow. 

Someone has started to take the load of snow off the roof.

I return to our Hotel Furka to do some reading. 

 

Around Oberwald, the world ends soon

A short walk along the Rotten creek…

… ends after some 500m.  Danger of avalanches (Lawinen). You are not allowed to continue on foot or by car.

The cross country runs are closed – do not go beyond this point some 200m outside of Oberwald. 

The access from our hotel to the cross country runs ends in heaps of snow. 

The train station is closed; the trains are not running any more.

Only a small part of the forest behind Oberwald is open for walkers.

The fir trees are bending under the wet snow – it is close to zero degrees.

I enjoy the patterns painted by the snow.

 

In between, the sun comes out for a moment

Just for a short time, the snow fall stops and the sun comes out. The Tällistock appears behind Oberwald. 

The church of Oberwald shines in the sun.

 

On our last two days, Saturday and Sunday, we can take out our cross country skis again

On Saturday, the forest run above Oberwald has partially opened up providing a small loop of about 2 to 3 km.

After having looped seven times, I return to the hotel. At the dinner table we see that all the other guests have left today, Saturday. At 4pm the last part of the road westwards to Brig had been announced to open again, which it did. We hear reports about a severe traffic jam – bothersome. We feel happy to have stayed at Oberwald for another night. We enjoy our dinner with the local wine Johannisberg (called Sylvaner elsewhere). We finish the evening with a Vieille Apricotine. Delicious.

The next day, the Rottenloipe has been groomed again. The sun is out. Beautiful winter conditions.

We go for a run in the morning, have some take away lunch and leave with the 14:35 train through the Furka Tunnel that has opened up today as well. 3 hours later, we are back in Basel. It is raining. It almost feels like spring and the deep winter of the Goms seems to be far away. Great to have experienced that.